Quick: Blazers GM Neil Olshey Laughs Off LaMarcus Aldridge Trade Rumors

Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is not "shopping" All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge in trade talks.

I asked him directly if he is shopping Aldridge. It was as if I had told Olshey the best joke he had ever heard. In fact, I think he is still laughing as I write this.

Olshey said he has made zero calls to other teams about Aldridge. He did say he has fielded one inquiry from another team, but it was more exploratory in nature, that team feeling the Blazers out. And he said he has no plans to make any future calls about Aldridge as February approaches. That doesn't mean Olshey doesn't expect to get more calls.

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"Until you get enough phone calls for the message to get around the league that we are not breaking this up to rebuild, that we are building from where we are, (rumors) will probably still be out there,'' Olshey said. "But clearly, trading a 27-year old All-Star like LaMarcus doesn't get you better today.''

Back in October, it was reported that Blazers GM Neil Olshey told Aldridge that he wouldn't be traded for this season and next. Aldridge recently said that "nobody is safe" from a possible trade in the NBA.

Olshey recently defended his power forward from criticism, as did Blazers coach Terry Stotts.

Aldridge was called "soft" recently by one columnist. Another writer wondered whether the Blazers should consider trading Aldridge. His drastic increase in perimeter shots was examined a few weeks back. I took a look at the redistribution of his shot locations earlier this season.

As noted last week, the better the Blazers play, the less likely it is for any sort of Aldridge trade discussion to develop.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter